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How Klarna works

How Klarna works

“Buy now, pay later” is an increasingly popular way to shop online or in stores. According to one survey, 39% of consumers have used these short-term point-of-sale installment loans at some point. Klarna is one of several online platforms that provide this type of finance.

Founded in Sweden in 2005, the company now serves approximately 85 million customers, processing two million transactions per day.

Key Findings

  • Klarna offers customers several installment loan options at its points of sale.
  • Buyers can repay their loans interest-free within 30 days or in four installments.
  • Buyers also have the option to finance their purchases for 24 months and pay interest.

How does Klarna work?

Klarna is a buy now, pay later service designed primarily for online shopping. You can use the Klarna mobile app anywhere online, or select Klarna as your payment method at checkout at participating retailers.

There are no interest charges unless you choose to finance your purchase, and there are several ways to pay off your debt.

For example, you can pay off your entire purchase in 30 days (Pay in 30 days) without interest, pay it off in four interest-free installments (Pay in 4), or finance it over 24 months.

Klarna requires a minimum purchase of $10. There is no set credit limit. Instead, the user can check the “Purchasing Power” in the app to get an estimate of the current amount to spend. The limit is based on factors such as payment history and balance size.

Generally, the more you use Klarna to make payments and repay your loans on time, the more your purchasing power will increase.

Klarna fees and interest

Klarna does not charge interest if you choose the Pay in 4 or Pay in 30 days options. Both of these buy now, pay later loans are interest-free as long as you pay off your balance in full within the allotted time period.

However, you may pay interest if you use one of Klarna’s finance options. This includes monthly financing or scheduled payments. annual percentage rate (APR) on purchases is 0-24.99%. You can avoid interest if you qualify for the No Interest When Paid in Full promotional offer.

Klarna may charge a fee if you miss a payment. A $7 fee is charged when Klarna tries to collect payment from you a second time and fails.

Here are answers to some other common questions about how Klarna works.

Klarna Security

Klarna says it takes customer security seriously and uses a variety of measures to protect your information. This includes computer security, secure files and the use of secure buildings to store servers.

Can you use Klarna to pay bills?

No. While some buy now, pay later financial platforms may allow bill payments, Klarna is purely for shopping.

Does Klarna affect my credit score?

Short-term financing options such as “buy now, pay later” may affect credit rating. Your credit may be affected when you apply, when you make loan payments, or if you accidentally miss a payment.

Klarna does not say whether it reports payments to any of the three major credit bureaus. But it is possible that if you miss a payment or fail to honor a payment agreement, this may be reported. In addition, Klarna may lend your account. collection agency to recover any outstanding amounts you owe.

Does Klarna check your credit when you use it?

Klarna can check your credit as you use it. Does this include soft or hard The credit check depends on which payment option you choose.

If you choose the Pay in 4 option, where the credits are split into four installment payments, Klarna will use a soft credit pull. If you’re interested in monthly financing with Klarna, you may need to do a hard credit check.

A soft credit check will have no impact on your credit score, while a hard credit check may have a slight negative impact.

Can you get Klarna if you don’t have a credit card?

Not having a credit card is not a barrier to qualifying as long as you have sufficient credit history for a soft or hard credit check.

While Klarna can assess your creditworthiness, it also considers other factors when making approval decisions. You may be refused if, for example, you have made too many purchase requests in a short period of time or you have a poor payment history on previous Klarna loans.

Rejections do not negatively impact your credit rating. And even if you’re turned down for Klarna funding once, it’s entirely possible you’ll be approved another time.

How do I pay Klarna?

When it comes time to make payments with Klarna, you have several options. Klarna accepts all major debit and credit cards including Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover.

Klarna does not accept prepaid cards as a form of payment. You can make payments manually through the Klarna app or schedule automatic payments.